A Case Study Approach to Study Abroad

February 16, 2016

SRAS Program Director Renee Stillings, pictured in Khiva, Uzbekistan.

It was not so long ago that study abroad was primarily designed for language and culture immersion. Likewise, faculty-led programs were then mainly related to field study in certain disciplines. Now, globalization has changed this in a way that few might have expected.

Globalization and Study Abroad

Globalization led to two drivers that are shaping study abroad for American students.

First, it led to the realization that a greater number of students, Americans included, should be spending time abroad. I will be the first to argue that in certain majors such as language, history, or diplomacy, this should be mandatory. However, this is more than an issue of specific majors. There is pressure, a “mandate” if you will, to send more American students abroad in general. Universities and students alike see this as a way to show that they are competing on a global scale. At the same time, the majority of students face limitations making it quite difficult to go abroad. Many lack time, money, and/or flexibility in their curriculums. Short-term faculty-led programs abroad have become the solution for this, allowing for a shorter, less expensive experience that is often better coordinated with their programs at home.

Many language educators have argued that such brief programs are not immersive and simply not a substitute for a longer, more independent study abroad experience. Eventually I think everyone realized that no, it is not a substitute; those students intent on serious language study are not going to rely on a two- or even four-week trip as a way to reach their goals. Instead, faculty-led programs have proven to be an excellent way to get students abroad who otherwise would not be able to do so.

A second driver that developed from the forces of globalization is the growing number of universities around the world which have begun offering full degree programs in English. These grew from demand from local students in various countries who were eager to study in English due to its prominence in business and technology or perhaps as a stepping stone, allowing further studies abroad. As a result, there is now an abundance of options to “study in your major” around the world – in universities offering full degree studies in English. Suddenly, there was competition for American students who might otherwise have only studied in London or Sydney.

How does one convince a student to choose Vladivostok over Moscow? By emphasizing Vladivostok’s geographic position in and close relations with Asia, we built our Russian Far East program, looking at China, Japan, the Koreas, and Russia’s relations with them.

Quite recently, while exploring a potential new SRAS location, I realized that on a certain level, all of the existing programs seem quite similar. There were some differences in cost and inclusions, but the underlying academics seemed very similar between institutions. More importantly it raised the question in my mind of relevance and why a student would choose to study a given topic in any particular country if it has little or nothing to do with language immersion or specific interest in the culture. In conversations with educators, it seems that this often random selection of destination does not go unnoticed, and they often share the same concern that I have, which is how the student would describe and support this line that is supposed to stand out on the resume.

Study Abroad in the Post-Soviet Space

In SRAS’ locations in Eastern and Central Europe, where we have been hosting students for 20 years, this option to study in your major has been very slow to develop. There are a small handful of degree programs in English but this is relatively recent. More importantly, Russia has been perceived for nearly all of its existence as a study abroad destination restricted to those who have studied Russian and are seeking to do so abroad. Add to this the fact that most students do not embark on their study of Russian until they reach university and it is easy to understand why programming in Russia (and the post-Soviet space in general) has been intently focused on language study. Because so few students were at a high enough level for mainstream courses, study abroad experiences developed as “constructs” of intensive Russian language study plus perhaps a few electives taught in English or Russian. Integration with local students was often a challenge, especially with foreign students frequently housed in separate dormitories, a practice that has been held over from Soviet times. There are some very limited exceptions, but this model pretty much continues to this day. There are more opportunities to study in one’s major now in the post-Soviet space, but current politics are such that while this is an intriguing time for certain majors (particularly Russian, Russian/regional studies, and international relations), it is not the time when Russia will suddenly attract large numbers of mainstream American students.

Nonetheless, it is quite apparent why the students who currently study abroad in the post-Soviet space do so. A majority of our students are majoring/minoring in Russian language/studies or international relations with a focus on Russia and Eastern Europe. For them, the choice of destination is clear and based on the need to achieve language and cultural proficiency and in-country experience for careers in government, NGOs, or academia.

A New Approach

Ukraine is currently a hotspot for internships as well as there are many organizations seeking to reorient themselves westward and are seeking young talent to help them do so.

At SRAS we have approached program design for many years by placing the specific location at the center of the design. We’ve done this specifically with the student, and how to reach the student, in mind. How does a student, for example, differentiate between Irkutsk and Vladivostok, being largely unfamiliar with either? Describing certain attributes of the location – population, geography, atmosphere, even drawing comparisons with certain US cities – only goes so far. We looked instead more closely at what each location could support – academically (coursework, research opportunities), culturally (museums and other institutions), and in terms of other extracurricular activities (internships, field trips, independent exploration). Thus, in addition to intensive language study, which is still a need and objective for most students, we offer programming that utilizes the location’s strengths to its full academic advantage.

This approach was initially thought of as a way to get students to venture beyond the traditional destinations of Moscow and St. Petersburg into locations that are not only more immersive but that look better on the resume, showing a more adventurous and independent spirit. However, we soon found that the true strength of this was in viewing locations as case studies providing unique ways to build programs that allowed students to study in their major.

Three excellent examples include Ukraine, Poland, and St. Petersburg.

Ukraine has always posed a challenge as so few students are interested in studying Ukrainian, and yet if your aim is to study Russian, what are the arguments for studying in Ukraine, all other things (program quality, cost, etc.) being equal? A site visit to Ukraine and Georgia, accompanied by some in-flight reading on conflicts in Georgia, led to the development of our Policy & Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space program, which uses the region as a case study in conflict analysis. In cooperation with our colleagues at NovaMova in Kiev, we developed a program that would take students to at least three post-soviet countries* to learn about the origins, current status, and potential outcomes of conflicts there. Students consider the stakeholders in each of these conflicts and gain experience in producing policy briefs. This is all in parallel with intensive Russian language study.

Poland was our first venture into a country where we knew language would not be our primary focus. We chose Poland as our home base in Central Europe because of its relative economic and political weight and the overall range of programming that would be possible there. We chose Warsaw over Krakow (traditionally most attractive to students and tourists alike) because it is the center of that weight, with access to people (guest lecturers) and a wide range of organizations (internships). One of our objectives in Central Europe was to launch a program focused on cybersecurity and our chosen partner there, Collegium Civitas, already had coursework in this area. We added New Media, which is also important to cybersecurity and studies in information warfare. We also added Jewish Studies, as Poland has a long and rich Jewish history, as another focal area for our semester programming in Poland. The result was our new Security and Society Program – a flexible program that can serve diverse student interests.

In designing this, and in developing a broader suite of courses for our summer school, we looked intently at the question of “Why Poland?” Poland is neither a mainstream destination nor an exotic one. What it is, however, is a country with a complex history and a geographic location that contributes to a unique experience and perspective in many modern global questions. Poland is an excellent case study in security studies, criminal justice, elite studies, and urban studies, all of which we developed coursework for and added to our programming there.

SRAS programs in Kyrgyzstan make use of that country’s location in Central Asia, a culturally rich, diplomatically significant region to present Central Asian Studies. In the summer offerings, students have the option of taking a horse trek to the mountains to experience traditional nomadic life and meet nomads.

St. Petersburg, Russia is a great location to emphasize not only culture and the arts but also business and international relations as Russia’s “window on Europe.” We have several programs in St. Petersburg that do just that. For example, our month-long Art & Museums in Russia program provides an intensive look, often behind-the-scenes, at a city rich in both collections and museum types. Art & Museums takes students inside and behind the scenes at the Hermitage as well as introduces them to local artists and curators. Our Society, Business, and the Arts course offers language programming with a flexible program offering courses in international relations, business/finance, media studies and more, including with an emphasis on how culture affects these subjects. When asked recently to propose a syllabus/itinerary based on the centenary of the Russian Revolution for a faculty-led program, St. Petersburg was an obvious location to base the program at as it was there that the revolution started. It was also only natural that we would focus heavily on the arts and culture surrounding that period to provide a greater understanding of that turbulent period.

Although our original idea was to diversify the locations that students would adventure to by using programming to better describe the location and utilize its resources, we have also found that using this case study approach to designing curriculums results in academically strong programs with strong, relevant cultural components. We have found that keeping location central to our designs, that we are also able to better advise and assist in the creation of faculty led programs. Globalization is changing study abroad – sending more students abroad, offering a greater number of courses in English, and encouraging faculty led programs. However, while globalization is driving changes in the market, we have found that thinking locally is still the best way to serve that market.

* Unfortunately, while life in Kiev has been back-to-normal for quite some time now, the US State Department warning does not differentiate by region. Because many schools either abide strictly by these warnings or require extensive paperwork to bypass them, students on this program now base their language study component primarily in Moldova. Moldova itself, however, is in a very similar situation to Ukraine with contested borders and a currently challenging economic and political position. Thus, Moldova also makes an excellent case study base for this program.

About the Author

Renee (Stillings) Huhs

Renee first visited the Soviet Union in 1990 to study at MGU after graduating from Boston University with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. After working at a technical translation company in Boston, she returned to Moscow in 1992 for permanent residence until 1998. During that time she worked in the Russian financial markets and eventually founded SRAS as well as co-founded Alinga Consulting Group. Renee is now based in Woodside, CA with her family and continues to travel frequently not only to SRAS sites, but throughout the world and with eyes open for new ideas in education abroad.

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Testimonials

Just yesterday my student successfully defended her honors thesis on environmentalism around Lake Baikal, a project that would not have been possible without the fieldwork that she conducted on her SRAS study abroad program in Irkutsk. I hope to see more such projects in the future and will keep directing students to SRAS programs!

Julia ChadagaVisiting Assistant ProfessorMacalester College

At Stetson, we’ve used SRAS to arrange all of our student study abroad trips for the past five or six years. During that time we’ve sent dozens of students on summer- and semester-long programs in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Irkutsk. In every interaction I’ve had with them, SRAS has been prompt, reliable, knowledgable, courteous and quick to lend a hand when needed.

Dr. Michael A. DennerProfessor and Director, SPREESStetson University

I’ve studied in Irkutsk and St. Petersburg with SRAS, but [Bishkek] is, by far, my favorite because of the intense focus on speaking skills. I spend about three hours, 4 times a week speaking one-on-one. It’s such a unique opportunity! The people are also especially friendly here. My homestay is fantastic, the coordinator is a never-ending wealth of help, and the food of Central Asia is delicious.

C. HughesThe Evergreen State College

My semester back home so far has been incredibly influenced by my semester abroad with SRAS and I find myself talking about it almost daily. Since many of my classes touch on the region (Europe after Socialism, Central Asian Politics), I’m able to add comments and insights unavailable to me before. My contributions to our Russian club have also been greatly enriched. Thank you for everything you did to facilitate this experience and going out of your way to ensure our success.

E. FinnUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst

The program here is wonderful. All of my teachers have been extremely helpful and I have made friends both here in the dorms and with others who live in the city and find that I often have many opportunities to practice Russian outside of the classroom. The university also has a speaking club which is comprised of both Russian and foreign students solely for the purpose of speaking practice in Russian. Already I feel that my Russian has improved immensely,especially my listening and speaking.

J. WilburnUniversity of South Carolina

We had a great time overall. The students were super impressed with SRAS — the guides, the accommodations, the excursions, etc. The guides were super knowledgeable and kind–the only thing that would improve the tours is volume. They tend to speak quietly so a few people who can’t hear lose interest. But we loved the Hermitage art project and Novgorod, and the bunker, and going behind the fountains at Peterhof, and the boat to Peterhof… We loved everything!

Ona Renner-FaheyAssociate Professor of RussianUniversity of Montana

I wanted to find a program that combined my love of Russia and my passion for environmental studies. Because of my interest in environmental issues, Lake Baikal had always been a site of interest to me. Studying abroad in Siberia gives you the opportunity to see a completely different side of Russia and the Russian people. Just think, few people at home even know that Siberia is anything but a wintery tundra!

I. Korsgard

A long overdue thank you for the wonderful trip you and your staff planned for the Drew group in St. Petersburg. I have never had a trip where NOTHING went wrong. It was a terrific experience from start to finish, your staff was superb and St. Petersburg Economics University was a marvelous host. We enjoyed each and every lecture and guide, and the many fine added touches. I would love to do this again.

Dr. Carol R. UelandProfessor of RussianDrew University

The SRAS guides were excellent! They really knew their stuff and were able to relate the history of the places we visited in an interesting and inventive way. It was obvious they had a lot of experience working with American students.

Charles Arndt IIIVisiting Assistant ProfessorUnion College

I spent Fall and Spring with your program in St. Petersburg and it was truly the highlight and culmination of my University experience and just a banner year! I can’t thank you enough for or gush enough about your program. I recommend it to just about everyone I talk to, whether or not they’re interested in learning Russian.

B. LewisUniversity of Utah

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